Back in Middle-earth!
by nerdydarkcupcake
Summary: AU WIME: Coralyn and Abby were never sent back to Middle-earth. Instead, they continued to live their lives "normally" for nine years. But then the two are yanked back by an unknown force, surprising everyone. Now, Coralyn has to face the inner demons she thought she was ridden of - a battle the others can only hope will turn out well. It's time for the Prophecy to unfold...
1. Chapter One - Going Under

Guess who's bad at updating regularly? THIS GIRL! D:D

Anywho, here is the alternate-ending sequel to _We're in Middle Earth!_ I know what a lot of you are thinking - what. the. hell. And I completely agree. WIME was a fail. I turned myself and my cousin - two self-inserts - into Mary-Sues with immature attitude problems. I began to force humorous elements into my fanfic, so it wasn't even funny anymore. Then I lashed out at critics, pretty much using YOLO as my excuse -_-

So why would I keep on writing?

In all honesty, WIME was a complete roller coaster ride for eleven year-old me, and taught me a lot. Since then, I've explored various other fandoms and writing styles, and picked up a few tricks along the way. My grammar and characterization has greatly improved since then, and I'm actually quite proud of how far I've come :3

But I've been bored lately, and I wanted to write a fanfiction. But not just _any_ fanfiction. I wanted to write a thought-out fanfiction with developed characters that people would like. I wanted to write a fanfiction that surprises the audience, and makes them wonder what curve-ball I'm going to throw next.

I began reading my old fanfics for inspiration and I had an idea - why not try to fix my first mess and redeem myself in the fanfiction community?

I've spent a couple months coming up with this plot, and deciding how it's going to roll out. I'm literally always thinking about this story day-in and day-out, taking everyday occurrences and wondering how I could insert them into my characters.

This time, I'm not going to wing it. I'm going to work.

**LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!**

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own LOTR. Only the random OCs that I've tossed in :D

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**Chapter One – Going Under**

_Don't want your hand this time,_

_I'll save myself._

_Maybe I'll wake up for once,_

_Wake up for once…_

Nine years ago, I went to Middle-earth with my cousin, Abigail. Nine years ago, I helped fictional characters try to save their world from a power-hungry dark lord who wanted his dreaded ring back. Nine years ago, I had grown to love someone only to be ripped away from him. Nine years ago, I learned of my family's dark ancestry and the curse I held and the blessing my cousin gained. Nine years ago, I had been put through hell and back only to be chucked out at the last minute.

I was eleven at the time, just starting sixth grade. While watching _The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring_, my cousin and I were transported to Middle-earth and given brand-new ready-to-survive bodies that look very similar to how I do now. I thought it was all fun and games until reality bitch-slapped me in the face. Death fenced me and my innocence was ripped away. I tried to act normal, as if I could ignore the horror going around me. Like I could try to preserve some part of me that I came with when I was dragged away from Earth.

But I couldn't. The darkness that clouded Middle-earth got to me and as I uncovered secret after secret, becoming much more desperate to hold onto some part of my sanity. I was sure I covered it well because nobody asked me if there was something wrong. As I rode towards the final chapters of the fantasy, Lord Elrond had sent me back. I believe it was because he was paranoid that if I tread too close to my corrupted ancestor, that I would fulfill the prophecy that led me to doom. At the time I was numb with emotions coursing through me: anger, disbelief, and overall shock. I finally broke down into tears and was comforted by that silvery-blue-eyed Elf only to give him a brief and short goodbye to him and the others because I couldn't stand it. And then I was cast away from the land of Hobbits and Wizards.

At only twelve years-old, I fell into a depression that lasted until I was fourteen and began to try to move on with my life. When I was sixteen, I was in complete denial about the whole Middle-earth thing and told myself it was just a dream. Then at eighteen, I got my wonderful boyfriend, Liam. Almost a year ago, I graduated high school and was accepted to Indiana University for psychology so I could try to figure what was wrong with me. Now, at nineteen, I have a job at my friend's boutique so I can make money.

It probably would've been easy to forget about the whole ordeal if there were no physical signs of Middle-earth that came back with me. Alas, the necklace I had been given when I first got there was still with me when I came back. Of course I tried to summon my powers, but it didn't work. I was convinced that it was because magic didn't exist on Earth and that my powers could only be used when in Middle-earth. I always wore the crystal-studded moon pendant that held onto my neck with mithril links. Whether it was out of habit or the strange fear that I would somehow forget the blurry past, I did not know.

At the moment, however, the dwellings of my shaky memories were the least of my concern. A couple months ago, Abby had gone missing. Well, missing was an understatement; it's like she disappeared off the face of the Earth. I just thought that she wanted some peace for a few days but my overprotective aunt immediately filed a report for the police even though Abby was out of the house and already twenty-one. They searched her apartment and came up with _nothing_. There were no leads pointing to where she could've gone and her neighbor said the last time she saw her, Abby said she was going to watch a few movies and when the neighbor went to give Abby her mail, she had vanished. The security cameras that dotted the apartment complex showed no sign of Abby leaving, as if she had turned invisible and swept into the night.

I grew uneasy as the clues poured in. Images of the summer from nine years ago flooded my brain, only to have my mind bark back at them: _They said that when you go to Middle-earth, that time stays the same! It pauses the time in our dimension while you're there! Remember how you came back and everything was still the same? If it's the case that Abby somehow ended up in Middle-earth, she would've poofed right back and not have all this time pass!_

That's what confused me. Spending night after night arguing with myself over the possibilities, I ended up getting only a few hours asleep. And that night was no exception.

**…**

I turned for what seemed the millionth time that night, trying to clear my thoughts. Squeezing my eyelids shut, I tried to focus on blankness only to intensify my headache. A grunt escaped my pouted lips and I began to bang my head against my pillow to see if that would help and ended up missing and hitting my head on the wall. Letting out a hiss of pain, I rubbed my sore head and sat up. Yanking my flower-patterned blanked off of me, I swung my legs over and shuffled towards my kitchen.

I flipped on the light switch and winced when the bright, artificial light enveloped the kitchen. I've never liked the yellowness the light-bulbs gave off so I was always opening my windows to let in some sunshine. But it was freaking 40°F outside and I didn't feel like freezing my ass off. Letting out a breath through my nose, I opened a cabinet and fished out a bottle with a purple liquid swishing inside of it. I wrinkled my nose when I saw there was only maybe a couple servings of it left and wrapped my hand around it, trying to open the white cap with half-asleep fingers. The voice inside my head nagged me because I knew it wasn't healthy to take _Nyquil_ just to sleep, but I wouldn't even get fifteen minutes without it. But I've been on the medicine for a few weeks now and it worked magic that put Sandman to shame.

Pouring out its contents into a measuring cup, I swigged it down and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. It let out a loud noise when I set the cup down and I winced. So I threw it into the sink and put the medicine away and then shut off the light switch. Instead of turning back to my room, I headed to my small living room and wrapped my hand around the remote to my TV and turned it on. It hummed before showing some sitcom and I sprawled out on my couch and began to flip through channels. About twenty channels passed until I felt my finger freeze and breathing stop.

It was a close-up of the Orlando Bloom Legolas with slightly narrowed eyes, looking off somewhere. The movie had done well picking Orlando, but they'd missed a few things from the real Legolas. Like his hair was longer and his cheek bones were a tad bit higher. His skin was paler and instead of being brown, they were a memorizing silvery-blue and–

"Stop it," I growled to myself.

But I couldn't bring myself to change the channel. So I set the remote on the ground and grabbed the fuzzy green blanket with leaf designs stitched into it and threw it onto myself. I snuggled into it as I found a comfortable position and let out a small yawn. Laying my head on the side of the couch, I watched as the Man, Elf, and Dwarf chattered to each other, their words becoming mixed. My eyelids began to droop and my muscles relaxed, keeping my attention on the blurry screen. When I was just about to drift into unconsciousness, a familiar feminine voice whispered in my ear:

_"The two who have the powers of the sun and moon,_

_Kin of the Dark Lord they are too,_

_For the sun all is well and fine,_

_But the moon the darkness will bind."_

**…**

How the hell did I end up from my couch to a king-sized bed that felt like heaven itself made it?

Eyelids snapping open, my body immediately tensed. Slowly sitting up, I took notice of the room. First of all, the comforter was the plushiest thing I've ever touched and I was surprised I wasn't suffocating under it. The pillows put everything in my house to shame because it they were perfect – not too soft so you just sink in, but not too hard that you can't even make a dent. Pastel yellow colored the walls and cream curtains decorated the window. From what I could tell, it was a bright, sunny day with the sound of distant chatter and bird songs meeting my ears. The floor was marble and I inwardly cringed at the thought of touching that with my bare feet and a few wooden dressers were pushed to the sides. A mirror sat to the wall next to me and I saw no difference in my appearance at all. _Nothing_.

As the sleep faded, I realized there was only one place that could have this sheer quality of items and that nothing in the room was made in China. I let out a loud, drawn-out groan and flopped back onto the bed. It seems like I was right. Somehow, I'd ended up back in Middle-freaking-earth. Wait.

_WAIT. WAIT. WAIT. WAIT. WAIT. WAIT. WAIT. WAIT. WAIT._

Hold the freaking phone.

I was BACK in MIDDLE-EARTH.

My stomach decided to do a gymnastics routine and I felt queasy. Oh God. _OH GOD_. _Of course_ this crap happens to me. I mean, why would my ancestors want to pick anybody else? That was the proof that the world hated me.

"Why meee?" I wailed to myself, turning over and burying my face into God's cushion and beating my legs and arms against the bed like a child.

Completely oblivious to the door opening, I continued to sulk into the pillow. Hot, frustrated tears began to gather and my whale-like noises were being muffled by the pillow. So I lifted my face to breathe a little and brought my arms and crossed them and put my chin upon them, trying slow my breathing. Top half of my face still on the pillow, I began to contemplate my situation. But then my eyelids began to droop just because of how awesomely awesome the pillow was. I began to nod off only to hear a deep yet musical voice that was calm yet fierce at the same time. The voice I dreamed of and I thought would never hear again.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my room?"

Frozen, I lifted my face up and my eyes met narrowed and hostile silvery-blue ones.

Shit. Even for more proof that the world hates me, somehow I ended up in _Legolas Thranduillion's _room.

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**Good ol' Elfy Boy ^_^**

**Please tell me any mistakes I might've made, and please tap any of those _fine_ review, favorite, or follow buttons below ;)**


	2. Chapter Two - Should've Just Gone to Bed

**Author's Note:**

*Face-palms* Okay, I left a lot of information out on the last chapter.

First of all, I suggest reading _We're in Middle Earth! _just to get a grasp of what's happening. I know the grammar sucks and the characters are even worse, but just scan to get the main idea of the plot. It'll be useful when reading _Back in Middle-earth!_

Two, each chapter starts with a song. It can be it just because I was listening to it while writing, or if it reminds me of the chapter. Please bare with my music taste.

Finally, I plan on this story being really long. It's not finished yet (not even close, I'm still working on chapter six DX), but I'm guessing it'll be maybe forty chapters long. I'll try to make the word count of all the chapters the same (right now it's about 2,000), but it might vary depending on what the chapter's about or what mood I'm in.

Okay, let's go!

**Disclaimer:**

Thank God I don't own _The Lord of the Rings_. I only own the original characters.

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**Chapter Two – Should've Just Gone to Bed**

_Oh, I should've just gone to bed_

_I should've never called you_

_I should've listened to my head_

_When it said leave it alone _

_This could be worse,_ I tried to comfort myself, my face flaming as I tried to find a solution to my predicament. _I could've ended up in Mordor or Gimli's room. Awww, why meee?_

Still frozen, I continued to stare wide-eyed at Legolas. I hadn't seen him in nine years and he'd barely changed. Dumb Elvishness. But what scared me is that he was looking at me like how he looked at an Orc. I opened my mouth to say something only for nothing to come out. Shutting it, I cleared my throat and mentally screamed at my mind to tell me what to do. But my inner-voice screeched back at me that she had no idea what to do, either. Holding back a groan, I settled for a small, weak, sheepish smile and gave a little wave and wiggled my fingers.

"Um, er, hi," I stammered, my face growing hotter. Dammit, I could do this! I traveled with him for what seemed like forever fighting evil! "Erm, I, uh, I can explain this, er, sort of," Nope, I couldn't.

Legolas continued to stare at me with those mysterious, judging, silvery-blue eyes. I shifted my gaze to his shoes and tried to focus on them so I could calm down. He had nice shoes. Of course they were Elven-made and were boots that looked like overlapping leaves. His pants were tucked into them and they ended right below his knees. Were his legs always that skinny? Wow, that lowers self-confidence. But then again, he was a warrior who lived off of lembas and rabbit stew. Or was that just Sam and Frodo?

"What is your name?" Legolas demanded, raising his voice.

I panicked. There was no way I would tell him who I was unless Abby was here. I would _not_ relive that episode again if I didn't have to. That was too much pain and confusion and a new page seemed excellent at the moment.

"Bollywood Gringotts!" I blurted out and I wanted to choke myself. Bollywood Gringotts? What type of fake name was that?! "But I prefer Bolly because it's easier, and, er, yeah."

Legolas' perfect eyebrow arched. "May I ask what you're doing taking a nap in my room, Lady Bolly?"

I pursed my lips, forcing myself not to burst into laughter, and then began to a ramble a story from the top of my head. "I am so sorry, Legolas. I was cleaning your room and I felt faint so I sat down for a moment and I guess I passed out. I'm so sorry, I'll leave right now!"

I threw the blankets off as I spoke and stood up and almost fell back from shock. Was he always that tall or was my alternate body like five inches taller than mine? I always thought I was tall as five foot seven, but gosh! Clearing my dry throat, I bowed my head and tried to move past him only to have his hand clasp around my wrist. I immediately tensed and resisted the urge to rip away from his grasp and run. His hands were cool and calloused on my skin, causing goose bumps to rise on my arms and I wanted to cry.

Legolas was _real_. He wasn't just a cruel dream or an imaginary figure. The grasp around my wrist proved that. For some reason, that terrified me and excited me at the same time. I was terrified because I was actually back in a world full of monsters and evil and excited because I hadn't been delusional. Clenching my jaw, my wide eyes stared at his large, slender hand. Then I looked up at Legolas and he opened his mouth to say something only to be cut off.

"Hey, Legolas! Do you have your stuff yet?"

My head snapped up and I wanted to squeal and jump up and down. It was Abby! Blonde-haired, big-eyed Abby! Like me, she was her usual self instead of her Middle-earth form. She was wearing a gray tunic and black leggings and her eyes went as big as the moon when she saw me. She dropped the sack she was carrying and enveloped me into a hug and began to sob, her tears falling onto my t-shirt. I shut my eyelids, and a giant smile grew on my face.

"I knew you came here!" I squealed, ecstatic about finding her. "Yay! I found you! Oh my gosh, how long have you been here?"

Abby pulled away and rubbed at her eyes and tried to compose herself while speaking. "I-I was watching a movie and then I ended up h-h-here. I was in the Shire and I m-met up with-with-with Pip and 'em. Then we came h-here and they're trying to f-f-figure out why I came."

A throat cleared itself from behind me. "Abby, you know Lady Bolly?"

Abby blinked and I made an 'X' with my arms, mouthing 'go with it'. Her eyebrow arched and she slightly tilted her head in a confused manner. I gave her a don't-you-dare-do-it look and she rolled her eyes. Discarding my obvious attempts to get her to lie, Abby told Legolas the truth.

Dammit.

"What are you talking about?" Abby asked, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "Can't you tell this is Coralyn?"

Closing my eyes, I let out a deep breath through my nose. My cheeks began to warm up and then I began to stare at my bare feet. The bottom of them stuck to the marble, unprotected by any type of footwear. But dammit. So much for my alternate persona. If she went with my plan, we could've pretended we were newcomers who needed to go home. People who didn't have ties with evil prophecies and incoming doom. Someone other than, well, _me_.

"Coralyn?" Legolas repeated slowly, caution and misunderstanding in his voice.

Cringing, I met his silvery-blue gaze and gave a tiny, awkward wave. "Erm, hi, Lego,"

Could this be any worse?

"Legolas, are you here?"

I turned around and saw an absolutely gorgeous flame-headed Ellyth staring at me with a blank expression. The Ellyth was tall and lean, standing maybe half an inch shorter than Legolas. She was dressed in different shades of green and there was no flaw I could find on her. Meeting my gaze with suspicious eyes, she crossed the room to Legolas and cocked her head. My stomach stirred with jealousy and I tried to push it down. I couldn't just hate on other people despite how out of place I felt next to them. That would be ridiculous. I just had to wait for an excuse to not like her.

A voice in my head sang that it was because she stood next to Legolas but I quickly shut her up with a mental kick to the head.

"Who is this?" She asked, her voice high and clear, just a musical as Legolas'.

"Oh, yeah. Coralyn, this is Tauriel, and Tauriel, this is Coralyn." Abby introduced, motioning to me and the Ellyth.

"Hi," I said, forcing a smile.

She forced one back and then turned to Legolas. "Your father has sent a messenger with a parcel – he says it's important."

"I'll attend to that later," Legolas dismissed, his gaze never wavering from my slowly inching away form. "I must speak to the former members of the Fellowship about this situation." He paused and then looked back at Tauriel. "I am sure you can come with us."

Tauriel flicked back her hair and then arched an eyebrow. "What exactly are we discussing about that would require such an audience?" She inquired.

"Me," I answered, mustering the most awkward smile onto my face. "Apparently I'm not supposed to be here or something like that."

"Well, let's go!" Abby said loudly.

I didn't miss the way her eyes hardened at the other Elf in the room. That made me suspicious. Abby usually liked everyone unless she had a completely biased opinion against them (*cough* Gimli *cough*). Maybe she didn't like gingers? That was a possible reason considering how much she hated Gimli. But something seemed off about all of this. I needed to ask her as soon as we got a private moment together.

More questions began to bubble up in my head. How much had I missed? How long had it been since the War of the Ring ended? How long had Abby been in Middle-earth?

Abby tugged on my arm and I followed her out of the room, avoiding eye contact with the other Elves. I twisted out of her grasp as we left the living area and entered a pathway. The pathway itself was beautiful with elegant, towering marble pillars with an arched wedge connected to them. However, with the lack of walls, the frosty morning air slightly stung my exposed skin. It felt like my bare feet turned into chunks of ice and my fingers were carved icicles. Goosebumps spread up and down my body and I pursed my chapped lips as though it would keep them warm. Wrapping my arms around my torso, I peered outside.

Rivendell hadn't changed much. The familiar landscape of rushing waterfalls that led into tranquil streams created a soft and soothing melody of lapping waves. Bright flowers surrounded by brilliant greenery swayed with the breezes as if they were dancing to their own song. Elves looked as if they were floating down the carved pathways in pastels, looking absolutely magical. The soft morning haze gave everything a dreamy look, as though it wasn't real. _It shouldn't be real._

But what caught my eye were the figures mounted on horses, heading in the opposite direction. They were dressed in black and seemed completely oblivious to everything else. The back of their heads were covered by the hoods of their cloaks, all looking forward. A covered cart was latched onto one of the horses and seemed as if it were the center of the party.

I twisted my head around to get a better view only to run into one of the pillars. An unladylike curse escaped from me as I wobbled back and found my balance. A terrible heat spread up my neck and to my face, and I squeezed my eyelids shut in embarrassment. I considered jumping into the river below to soothe my face's warmth with its icy contents. Opening my eyes, I glanced over at it and it actually seemed like a good idea.

"Are you okay?" Abby asked. Glancing over at her, it was easy to tell she wanted to giggle behind her worried mask. Hell, I knew I probably would've broken into laughter if she walked straight-on into a pillar. "Can you still go on?"

"Yes, I can," I huffed.

"Okay~" She sang softly.

Refusing to even look at the trailing Elves, I began to storm off into the building ahead. Pushing open the heavy doors with more force than necessary, they swung open and hit the walls by them. A horribly loud, monstrous clang echoed in the hall, causing all of its residents to snap their heads up at me. I winced at the noise and then froze when I saw the people giving me the deer-caught-in-the-headlights look.

Abby came up from behind me and clasped me on the shoulder and slightly shook me. "Guess what, guys?" She said loudly, a smile evident in her voice. "Coralyn's back!"

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**People who review/favorite/follow are 110% awesomer than they were before ;)**


	3. Chapter Three - The Show

**Author's Note:**

Thank you for the reviews/favorites/follows :3

I know that this story is crawling along, but I promise things are about to get interesting. Just hang in there for a couple more chapters, and action will kick off.

Oh, and if you haven't, I suggest skimming over _We're in Middle Earth!_

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own _The Lord of the Rings_. I only own the other random characters that pop up :)

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**Chapter Three – The Show**

_I'm just a little bit caught in the middle,_

_Life is a maze and love is a riddle,_

_I don't know where to go,_

_Can't do it alone,_

_I tried._

_And I don't know why._

Aragorn. Arwen. Elladan. Elrohir. Boromir. Faramir. Éowyn. Éomer. Merry. Pippin. Frodo. Sam. Gimli. Gandalf. Elrond. Galadriel. Celeborn.

They had all been eating what I assumed breakfast, probably chatting about recent occurrences. It was a rather large table and the authority each member held was almost overwhelming. Post-war heroes and leaders from far around were sitting all in the same place. Upon closer inspection, I noticed they still pretty much looked the same. So it couldn't be that far away from when the war ended, right?

All of them had their eyes on me. A tense silence rose up and I could hear my heart thumping wildly in my chest. My palms grew sweaty and my face turned the color of a ripe tomato. Muscles became nonfunctioning, leaving me with my eyes wide and jaw tight. A million thoughts ran through my head but none of them were intelligible.

What was I supposed to do?

Luckily, the red-haired Dwarf broke the silence. "It's been a while, Lass," Gimli said, his voice as gruff as ever. "'Thought you left us here to deal with Abby all on our own."

_Say something smart! _My mouth was dry and I cleared my throat before speaking, "Nah, I decided coming back was more interesting." Nodding my head in a 'sup motion, I faked a chuckle. "So what's up?"

"What is up, I believe, is your coming back to Middle-earth, Lady Coralyn." Lord Elrond said slowly, standing up from his seat. "When and where did you appear this time?"

I shifted uncomfortably and glanced over at Abby for help. Getting it, she replied, "Oh, you know, the usual. She flashed here about ten minutes ago and ended up in Legolas' room." Abby nodded and gave out a nervous giggle. "Aren't you happy to see her?"

"That is a complicated answer, Abigail." Gandalf said, standing as well. "As much as seeing Coralyn's face once more deems my heart light and happy, despair of _why_ she's back bears it back down." His piercing blue eyes met mine and I stiffened under his gaze. "Do you care to tell us anymore possibly interesting facts in the previous ten minutes?

Legolas walked forward and stood on my other side and I quirked an eyebrow at him. The Elven prince met my gaze and although he didn't smirk, it was damn well evident in his voice. "Is the fact that she tried to hide her true self important?" He glanced over at me. "I believe so, don't you, Lady Bollywood Gringotts?"

"You _had_ to add that, didn't you?" I snapped at him. A familiar feeling flickered in my stomach – I had only gotten it when I bantered with the Greenleaf.

"Of course," he said coolly. "I am sure the others would find it very interesting that you faked your identity upon first meeting me this morning."

I fought back the smile threatening to grow on my face and replied, "Oh pishposh, the past is the past."

"But the rumbling of my stomach is now." Gandalf interrupted. "I say we discuss this during breakfast, and I dare to say second if this takes too long."

He gestured to the seats and I trailed after Abby to her seat. I smiled and gave small waves while saying "hi" to everyone at the table. Then Abby sat next to Pippin and I took the empty seat next to her with Gimli on the other side. Across from me was Legolas with Aragorn and Tauriel on either side. Avoiding eye contact, my eyes roamed the goods on the table. There were fairly normal breakfast items scattered on silver platters with no food I hadn't seen before. Not to mention that it still looked as amazing as ever. Gingerly taking a biscuit and some sausages from a platter, I grabbed the jam and began to spread it with a butter knife.

"So why'd you guys bring us back?" I finally asked, glancing up at the end of the table where Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, Lord Elrond, and Gandalf sat. "I thought you wanted me and Abby to leave Middle-earth altogether or something like that."

"That's the interesting part of this predicament," Aragorn spoke up, a slight frown on his face. "Nobody from this Council has made any efforts to bring you two back and we cannot find out who did. We've been looking for the culprit for the last month or so, but all the trails lead to a dead end."

My actions froze and confusion bubbled through me. They didn't send us this time? The last time we had come to Middle-earth, they had intentionally sent us to assist the Fellowship of the Ring. I'd only assumed they brought us back for another reason but something seemed extremely off. Who else would bring me and Abby back? Why would they bring us back? What did they want?

"Do not be so panicked, Coralyn," Lady Galadriel chuckled softly, making every head swivel towards her. "If the person who sent you here wanted to hurt you, they would not have brought you to a royal room within Rivendell. It's nearly impossible to have that much power and not know how to control it properly and make a mistake like this. Whoever brought you here had a purpose, as these appearances are no coincidence."

"Lady Galadriel is right," Gandalf added after she was done speaking. "The caster sent Abigail to The Shire on Peregrin's doorstep and then Coralyn in Legolas' room. Only a fool would miss the fact that the person who sent the two wanted the Fellowship of the Ring to come back together." Gandalf's eyes surveyed the room, looking at every person. "The only question that remains is _why_ they wanted this reunion."

"That explains a lot," I croaked. My mouth felt dry as if I'd just stuffed a cotton ball in it. Grabbing a goblet, I gulped down the contents. After I set it back down and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, I recognized it as apple juice. Everyone was staring at me and I felt my face heat up for the millionth time that day. "What?"

"What has changed from before and now?" Aragorn pressed, eyebrows slightly furrowing and eyes showing suspicion.

"Oh, um, the time didn't stop like the first time." I stammered, slightly panicking under everyone's serious gazes. "Like when Abby left, time continued and didn't pause so everyone noticed and thought she was kidnapped or something."

"What?!" Abby squeaked. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, taking a nibble out of the biscuit. Suddenly I wasn't so hungry anymore. "Your mom filed a police report and everything."

"Oh no," she moaned, slumping down in her seat.

"That is most unfortunate," Lord Celeborn said, his expression still bleak. "Had anything else happened?"

I shook my head. "No, not what I can think of, anyways."

Gandalf stood up once more. "If you would excuse us, Lord Elrond, Lady Galadriel, and I would like to speak with Coralyn and Abigail." He said in a nonnegotiable tone.

I exchanged a gaze with Abby, but she had no idea what was happening, either. Questions and worry filled her eyes and I had a feeling I wasn't masking my utter confusion well, either. Getting up, I followed the three, brushing my hip against the table's corner. I bit my lip from screaming in pain and looked down so I wouldn't bump into anything else.

_Oh my mother-effing God! Dammit, the freaking _hurt! _The others probably think I'm a ditz. In my old body this–_

I gritted my teeth. No, I shouldn't be thinking that. That old Middle-earthian body was just a substitute so I wouldn't harm my eleven year-old one. The other "Coralyn" was not _me_. Sure, it was my spirit or whatever, but that skin and hair wasn't mine. This was me. The clumsy, big-footed, five-foot-seven brunette with faded red Kool-Aid dip-dyed hair was me. And I should be proud of it… Right?

After following Lady Galadriel's dress trimmings, I noticed we walked into a room. Lifting my head, I realized it was the study from before when I first entered Middle-earth. It still had the same wooden desks and soft, plump chairs. Books and scrolls were evenly laid out everywhere in a fashion that was casually elegant. Nothing had really changed much other than the rearrangement on the desk. Instead of being neatly cleared, it had a wanted poster on it. It had the picture of a prettily drawn Ellyth dressed in your typical traveling gear with big eyes. The words below in Elvish and then English: "WANTED: Mirima Telemnar FOR: Murder"

Lord Elrond saw me looking at it and picked it up. Rolling it up, he put it onto one of the shelves in the back. Pursing my lips, I tried to recount any crime from before. But my mind drew up with a blank and I shrugged it off. Surely whoever it was wouldn't affect me. Right? But out of all the places and people in the world, I never would've thought an _Elf_ would be a murderer in _Rivendell_. However, many things were screwed up now. Who was I to understand it all?

"As you have probably guessed, we wish to discuss about the _differences_ from our casting and this conjurer's." Lady Galadriel said, taking a seat.

I nodded, taking a seat on the plum cushioned seats, too. "Yeah, okay," I paused. "The only main thing that happened was the time differences. Other than that, I didn't really see anything different."

"What had happened once you and Lady Abigail were sent back the first time?" Lord Elrond asked, arching one of his ridiculous eyebrows. The corners of my mouth twitched and I stifled a giggle. Frowning – and making his eyebrows crease more – he slightly tilted his head. "What is so funny?"

"Nothing," I responded instantly, covering my mouth with my hand. _Dammit, be serious, Coralyn! _"Um, Abby, did you notice anything?"

Abby thought for a moment and tugged on her mithril chain. Her fingers rubbed the golden sun pendant attached on it, the morning's light reflecting off of the glassy surface. "Well, our magic didn't work," she said, shrugging. "But we did come back with our necklaces and that's kinda weird."

"That's to be expected when you leave to a world that doesn't contain magic to not be able to use it." Gandalf replied. He leaned on his great, wooden white staff that resembled like some sort of tree with branches that diverged at the top. "It is _weird_ that the pendants went back with you two. However, I must really ask –"

The White Wizard was cut off. The doors of the study slammed open and Lord Elrond's raven-haired sons stood in the doorway. Panic was evident on their features, eyes widened and muscles stiff. An air of urgency followed them and made my insides clench. Elves were practically always calm and expressionless unless something was terribly wrong. Seeing them alarmed sent hysteria down my spine and my instinct was to run for the hills as fast as I could.

"It's happened again!" Elladan (or Elrohir? I couldn't tell) cried. "It was another bounty hunter."

"His name was Rilien (Elvish for bright). He was the one who had found a lead to where Mirima was hiding. A Havens' party had found his body this morning a few miles south and sent word back to the guards." The other added.

"_Another_ person was killed?!" Abby gasped, big blue eyes widening even more. "That's makes three since I came here!"

My eyebrows furrowed and a frown nudged its way onto my face. _Three_? That was ridiculous! How could there be a mass murdering serial killer in Middle-earth?

Lord Elrond stood up. "I will take care of this," he said.

Gandalf let out a sigh. "It is of no use if one of us is absent. We'll continue this discussion later." He declared. "Abigail, Coralyn will have the empty room next to yours. Show her to it and ask for some more, er, proper clothing for her to borrow."

I clenched my jaw, insults already prepared to throw back at him. But after looking at my attire of an extra-large t-shirt and sweat pants, I held my tongue. Shoes would be nice. That didn't mean that my clothes were improper, though! No, my clothes were perfectly suitable for other occasions… Just not any that took place in Middle-earth.

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**Oooh~~ Murder-y mystery prophecy!**

**I know that these chapters are slow, but they're establishing what's about to happen -_-  
**

**Anywho, please review/favorite/follow ;D**


	4. Chapter Four - You've Got a Friend in Me

**A/N:**

Herro! I solemnly swear on my life that things are about to get interesting. This is sort of a filler chapter so you can get a feel of the story and I can cover basic factors that are important (but you may not see them right away ;). So regard this chapter carefully and on we go!

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own LOTR, only my original characters :D

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**Chapter Four – You've Got a Friend in Me**

_You've got troubles, _

_Well, I've got 'em, too._

_There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you,_

_We stick together and we see it through,_

_You've got a friend in me._

"So, you ended up in The Shire?" I asked, breaking the silence between my cousin and me.

We were walking back down the hallway from before, the temperature slowly rising with the sun. The sun's rays shone down at us, the warmth gradually soaking through my thin shirt and onto my skin. My shoulders relaxed and I let my arms slightly sway as I walked, trying to ward off the astonishment of arriving back in Middle-earth. My feet were still ice blocks, and I had to wiggle my toes to make sure they weren't just hallucinations. Shutting my eyelids against the bright light for a moment, I cracked open one and looked over at the nonresponding Abby. Her eyebrows were slightly creased, her normally upturned corners of her lips set downwards. That caused me to frown and I repeated myself.

Abby blinked and slowly said, "Well, I was going to watch _The Vampire Diaries_, but _The Lord of the Rings_ came on so I started to watch it. After like ten minutes I poofed back here and caused everyone in The Shire to go crazy. The next thing I knew, Gandalf and Aragorn were breaking down the Hobbit hole door and demanding that we go back to Rivendell so now I'm here."

"Lucky," I groaned, raising my hands to rub my eyes. "I'm tired and hungry and I gotta go potty but I don't wanna go potty because the toilets in Middle-earth suck because they don't have modern plumbing and _ughhh_."

"I know," Abby sighed, running a hand through her dirty blonde hair. "At least Elves have regular-sized rooms – literally everything in The Shire was midget-sized. I know they're short and everything, but jeez."

I giggled and she joined in. Maybe it was the hysteria, but I began to crack up as if it were the funniest thing in the world. I actually doubled over, leaning my hand on a pole to keep me balanced. Elves from below the pathway shot me worried looks, and even Abby was quieting down while I let out loud, obnoxious giggles. Falling to my knees and onto the cold, hard ground, I fought to keep my arms from buckling. Abby slowly approached me and helped me sit up, my giggles slowly dying down to little snickers then to a big smile.

"Are you okay?" Abby giggled, her hand latching around my wrist and pulling me up. "People are staring."

"Okay, okay," I tried to say seriously, my lips twitching upwards. "Let's go before anyone comes up here." I stumbled as I walked forwards and laughed. "Okay, okay, _now_ let's go."

Biting down on my lip so I wouldn't giggle, I followed Abby. It was a nice silence that let my thoughts wonder as we strolled. _Well, people probably think I'm insane. But whatever. If they were in my shoes, they would be, too. Hell, they might've been even worse off than me. I'd love to see those Elves wind up on Earth and be told to blow up Jupiter or some crap to save a world they're not even from._

"So this is my room, and that's your room." Abby chirped, interrupting my thoughts. She quickly turned the knob and pushed on the door, pressing her weight against it until it slightly budged. She let out a soft grunt as she slowly opened it, giving me a sheepish grin. "The doors get stuck a lot."

Stepping into the slightly cooler room, I noticed it was practically identical to Legolas'. The only difference was that there was a brunette Ellyth with a navy blue dress in her arms. My grin fell at the sight of the thick, floor-length long-sleeved dress. _I_ was supposed to wear _that_? I would die of heat exhaustion in that thing! Swallowing, I shifted uncomfortably and turned to ask Abby if there was anything else to wear only to find her shutting the door behind her. Inwardly screeching, I slowly turned back and wiggled my fingers in a strange way.

"Hi," I greeted. "Is that dress for me?"

"Yes, Milady," She answered, her face indifferent. "Do you require any assistance in putting it on?"

"No," I quickly replied. _That was rude,_ my inside voice tutted. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I can get it on myself."

"I will fetch your shoes in the meantime, Milady." The Ellyth said, curtsying. "I will be back in a few moments."

Nodding, as soon as she was out the door I threw my shirt off. I shimmied out of my sweatpants and grabbed the dress. Inwardly groaning, I slid my head through it, blindly moving my arms into the sleeves. It took me a minute to correctly put the stupid dress on and I let out a groan when I saw myself in the mirror. My hair was a mess and I had bags under my eyes, the dress not fitting right. It was tight on my torso and loose at the neckline, the skirt dragging on the ground. I grabbed the comb on the desk and began to yank it through my hair, wincing and cursing at the knots.

The door opened and a soft, "I'm back, Milady," was uttered. I nodded and continued on the next section, only to have pale hands take the comb away. Warm hands began to easily detangle my hair and I let out a sigh. Quietly fiddling the hems of my sleeves, I occasionally glanced up at her in the mirror only to see her solely focused on my hair. She looked familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on where I'd seen her before. There was no doubt she was gorgeous with dark hair framing her heart-shaped face and big, bright blue eyes being brought out by the baby blue dress. Her features were set in a poker face, easily beating that of a professional model's. _Her eyes look just like Abby's…_

"So, um, how long have you been working here?" I asked.

She met my gaze for a brief moment before looking back to my hair. "Not that long, Milady. Many occupations are gone with all the Elves sailing, and I was lucky to be accepted a few months before today. My job is to serve all the guests in this hallway."

"Oh," was all I could think to say for a minute or so. "What's your name?"

"You can call me Amirim, Milady," she said quietly, hesitation obvious.

"If I call you Amirim, then you call me Coralyn." I smiled.

She stumbled over her words. "That-that's improper, Milady. I serve under you and we are not friends –"

"Why not?" I interrupted, quirking an eyebrow. "I'd love to be friends."

Color began to fill her fair cheeks. "If you insist… Coralyn."

"See? It's not that bad." I chuckled. "Say it once, I'll say it twice – Middle-earthians are weird." An embarrassed giggle escaped me and I avoided eye contact, heat rising up to my face. "I mean, no offense. It's just a lot more different from where I come from."

"And where would that be?" Amirim inquired, slightly arching an eyebrow. She plucked a white ribbon from the dresser and took locks from either side of my head and began to tie it. "I've heard you are not from anywhere near Imladris, which makes me curious. Not many visitors come through here anymore, unless they wish to –" She broke off, slightly shaking her head. "Never mind that."

"Oh, uh, that's fine," I gave her a reassuring grin. Maybe if I could become friends with her, she'd give me all the details I'd missed out on. "I actually was studying at a university in a state called Indiana on the human mind. It's _very_ far from here."

Something flickered in Amirim's eyes and she abruptly dropped the brush on the dresser and folded her hands behind her back. "Well, I must be off, Coralyn. If you require any assistance in your stay, just ask for my name."

Before I could reply, she was out the door. I stood there with a slightly parted mouth, my eyebrows furrowed. Letting out a small humph, I pursed my lips and turned to the mirror. The ribbon was weaved through the hair, and I looked like a character on the cover of a fantasy novel. God, with the dress on I could be the damn princess.

_But why does Amirim look familiar?_ The curious voice in my head questioned. _Did I meet her before? _But then my stomach rumbled._ Eh, think about it later. I'm hungry and bored and lonely – let's find Blondie. At this point, I don't care if it's Abby or Legolas._

**…**

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I wailed, nearly jumping up and down. "Oh my God, I didn't mean to! I'm so sorry!"

A pomegranate juice flooded the floor, the sticky substance covering everything within a five foot distance. The silver bowl laid upside down on the ground, the Ellyn who was holding it trying to keep calm. His dark brow twitched in irritation and his jaw was clenched, but I had a feeling that if I got too close to him that he would suckerpunch me in the face.

"It is fine, Milady. I can just fetch some more from the kitchens." He said through clenched teeth.

"But this is a mess! Can't I help?" I pleaded, guilt eating me alive. "I can help carry the bowl, or something like that!"

Aragorn appeared in the corridor behind the Elf, a small grin on his face. "In all honesty, I believe you would be more useful being away from the mess." He said. "Let's' take a walk."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Aragorn gave me one of his old don't-question-what-I-say looks and the rational part of me told me to shut the hell up. Begrudgingly obeying, I let out a small breath through my nose and muttered another apology when I walked to the King of Gondor. He held his elbow out, and I took it, and he began to take the lead. Glancing at him, I noticed many more of his ebony strands had become silver. His hair was also grown out more, his usual scruff being a neatly trimmed beard. Aragorn definitely held a more royal aura, but he was still the stinky ranger man who scolded me for bathing him in his sleep.

"So, um, what's happened since me and Abby left? Did we miss anything big?" I asked, eager for some answers.

Aragorn cleared his throat, ready to give me a lecture. "After you and Abby were sent back to your homes, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, and I had left to raise an army of ghosts who hadn't fulfilled their promises. We led them on the Black Ships to Gondor, and the siege was quickly ended with their assistance. After that, we held a conference and decided to create a diversion to help Frodo and Sam get to Mount Doom more easily. There we fought, and Frodo and Sam had cast the ring into the fire, causing Mordor to collapse. There's been no signs of activity there since.

"After Frodo and Sam had recovered, we held my coronation and after prepared to help restore what Sauron had destroyed. Faramir, whom I don't think you've met before, and Legolas had left to help in Ithilien. When the Hobbits had went back to The Shire, they had officially ended the War with the Battle of Bywater, or the Scouring of The Shire. Since then, time has been peaceful."

"But what about the murders?" I questioned, crossing my fingers on the arm not being held by him. "I've seen the wanted posters so I was wondering what that's all about." Aragorn stiffened, his jaw remained set. "Oh _come on_, you can tell me! I've been through a lot worse than Elvish serial killers."

Aragorn let out a soft sigh, evidently debating whether or not to tell me. I stuck out my lip, praying I looked as adorably pleading as I hoped to be. It worked. "Well, there has been some incidents. An Ellyth by the name of Mirima Telemnar had killed an Ellyn, and there's no evidence of him fighting back. We have been searching her since, but everyone who tries capturing her ends up being killed. Now there's a large bounty on her head for whoever can catch her." He gave me a hard look. "I'm hoping you've matured since before, so _don't try to find her yourself_. The last thing we need is you and Abby disappearing to find a killer."

I scoffed. "Really? Do you think I'm_ that _stupid? There's no way I would try to track down a crazy murderer just because I got bored."

"Of course you wouldn't," Aragorn agreed somewhat cynically. Then he added under his breath, "But I wouldn't be surprised."

"Hey!"

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